Pizza And Comfort
by Marymel
Summary: Jackson and everyone comfort Finn after Merchinston's departure. Spoilers for "Boston Brakes."


**Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.**

**Spoilers for 14x13, "Boston Brakes."**

**I love Finn's chemistry with everyone on the team. And, with everything that happened in "Boston Brakes," I wondered how they and Jackson might comfort her. So here's what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy...and please review!**

Julie Finlay sat in front of the television, mindlessly watching a classic movie. She wasn't concentrating on the film, as she was playing the events of the case through her mind. She remembered how heartbroken she felt when she thought Merchiston was dead, the relief and worry when she learned he was alive, and she wondered what might have been between her and the writer.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a knock at her door. Finn groaned as she got off her couch and looked through the peephole. She was surprised to see her colleagues and good friends Nick Stokes and Greg Sanders on the other side.

Finn opened the door and was about to ask what they were doing there when Greg's five-year-old son Jackson wrapped his arms around her legs in a big hug. "Oh! Hi, sweetheart!" Looking up, she saw D.B., Morgan and Sara with them. "What...what are you guys doing here?"

"The guys told me about the case," Sara explained.

"And we thought you might be hungry," Morgan added.

"Yeah, we thought you might need some cheese pizza!" Jackson said with a big smile.

Finn couldn't help but smile at the sweet little boy. "You did?"

"Yeah! I told daddy dat you would like some cheese pizza with me!"

As heartbroken as she was, Finn loved how Jackson just wanted her to feel better. And she was happy to see her friends. She glanced at the two boxes of pizza in Nick's hands. "No anchovies, right?"

Nick smiled. "No, we remembered you don't like those."

"And dey got other pizzas too," Jackson said. "But I fink you need some cheese pizza!"

Finn laughed softly. "Well, I think that's a good idea." She welcomed everyone into the apartment. "There's some sodas and beer in the fridge," she said as Nick and Morgan set the hot pizzas on the table.

"No chocolate milk?" Jackson asked.

"I got some at the store on the way here," Morgan assured him. Jackson smiled as Morgan opened a small grocery bag and handed him his favorite drink.

Finn smiled as she watched her friends. As Greg and Sara got drinks from the fridge, Finn said, "I was just going to watch a movie, but this is better."

Jackson tugged on Finn's sleeve. "Auntie Finn, did you know dat I help take care of Aunt Sara's doggie?"

"You did?" Finn sat on her couch and pulled Jackson onto her lap. "His name is...Hank?"

"Uh-huh, an' he did a trick for me! I told him to sit, an' he sat right down!"

"Wow!" Finn said with a soft laugh. "You know, your Aunt Sara told me about her dog. He must be a good dog."

"Yeah! He an' Sam...um, Sam is Uncle Nicky's doggie...we went to da park an' dey play fetch with me!"

Finn smiled warmly at the sweet little boy. "Well, they sound like very good dogs." She smiled and thanked Greg as he handed her a plate.

Jackson looked at Finn's pizza. "Oh, good! You got some cheese pizza!"

"Well, of course!" Finn set her plate in her lap as Morgan handed a plate to Jackson. The little boy sat on the couch and happily eyed his pizza.

Everyone sat down and began eating. Jackson happily ate his slice of pizza as Finn did the same. "Mm!" Finn said. "This is good, isn't it, Jackson?"

"Mm-hmm!" Jackson said as he ate a long string of cheese from his pizza.

"We thought you could use some lunch," Nick said as he sat down with his food.

Finn smiled warmly at her good friends. "Aw, thank you. I was just going to get a sandwich before I had to go to work, but this is much better."

"And Jackson thought you could use some pizza," Greg said, smiling warmly at his son.

"Oh, he did?" Finn said with a warm smile.

"Yeah!" Jackson happily said. "I like having lunch wif you!"

"Well, I like having lunch with you," Finn said as she put her arm around Jackson.

Jackson smiled at his Auntie Finn. "An' I didn't want you to have a cheese pizza all by yourself."

"No, that's no fun," Finn said with a warm smile.

Everyone laughed softly as they enjoyed their pizzas. Finn had to smile as Jackson ate and chatted with her and everyone.

Greg quietly cleared his throat. "Are you okay?" He asked Finn.

Finn sighed deeply and nodded. "I will be. And...I really needed this."

"Yeah," Jackson said. "Everybody likes pizza."

Finn smiled at the sweet little boy. "Yeah, but I like the company more."

"Well, this is good for us, too," Morgan said. "And Jackson wanted to have lunch with you."

"Yeah!" Jackson agreed. "Cause you had lunch wif me an' daddy, an' dose were good cheese sammiches!"

"Yes, they were," Finn said, smiling as she remembered treating Greg and Jackson to lunch. "And I think this is better, because you and your daddy and everyone are here."

Jackson smiled. "Yeah! Did you know dat when Uncle Nicky first got his doggie, daddy an' me, we had pizza wif dem?"

"You did?"

"Uh-huh. An' Sam licked da pizza off my face!"

"He did?"

"Yeah. Daddy told me I hadda wash my face. An' Sam came in da kitchen an' I petted him an' he just gave me kisses!"

Finn and everyone smiled as Jackson talked about everything from his favorite animals to what he did in preschool. She loved how everyone on the team was truly a family, and really loved having Jackson in her life.

As they finished their pizzas, Finn offered to help clean up. "No," Sara said. "This was our idea."

"And it's only fair we clean up," Nick added.

"Yeah," Jackson said. "In my preschool, we have a song dat goes 'clean up, clean up, ebrybody do dere share'."

Finn smiled as Jackson sang and helped clean up. "Well, I'm glad you guys came over. I really needed this."

"Thank Jacks," Greg said. "We suggested pizza, and he wanted to have lunch with his Auntie Finn."

"You did?" Finn asked.

Jackson smiled. "Yeah! I like being wif all my family!"

Finn pulled Jackson into a hug. "Well, I like being with you and everyone. And thank you for thinking of me."

"You welcome!" When he pulled away, Jackson asked, "Auntie Finn, mama say you sad."

Morgan blushed as Finn smiled sadly. "I was...but I feel a little better now. You know how sometimes you just have a really bad day?" Jackson nodded. "Well, I had a bad couple of days. But I'm better now."

"Really?"

"Really," Finn answered honestly.

Jackson smiled widely. "Good! Cause I like having lunch wif my family, an' it wouldn't have been any fun without you!"

As heartbroken as she felt before, Finn had to admit having Jackson just wanting to help her feel better made her happy. "Well, thank you, sweetheart. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm glad you thought of this," Finn said with a warm smile.

Jackson smiled. "I glad I thought of it, too! Cause pizza is better wif friends!"

All the adults laughed softly and smiled as Finn hugged the sweet little boy. "It sure is," Finn said with a soft smile.

**The End.**


End file.
